Small firms' interaction with political organizations in the European Union

About 99% of all firms in the European Union are small, and politicians are increasingly emphasizing their importance for job creation, technological development and prosperity. Consequently, the political focus is on these firms and a large number of decisions influencing their business activities are constantly taken by political actors at various levels. The aim of this article is to investigate small firms' interaction with political organizations in the EU. Previous studies have shown that these firms have been obliged to follow the coercive political decisions of the EU's political units. In this paper, however, we identify some changes which demonstrate political support and influence by small firms. Based on a case study approach as well as data from a Swedish survey, four propositions concerning small firms' interaction patterns within the political context of the EU will be highlighted and further discussed.